Passenger-car signal



Oct.' 16, 1923;" i 1,471,285

Y E. SHARPE I PASSENGER CAR SIGNAL Filed Sept. 26. 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 3 :JM/venlo@ Oct. 16, 1923.

E.y sHARPE PASSENGER CAR SIGNAL Filed sept; 26,-1921 sheets-Sheet 2 Jmyve Filed Sepfo.. 26 1921 1,471,286 5 E. SHARPE PAS SENGER CAR S IGNAL 3 Sheets-Sheetl 3 Patented Oct. 16, 1923.

UNITED. STA-TE ELMEB SHARPE, 0F HAMILTON, ONTABIQ CANADA,

PASSENGER-CAR SIIGNAL i I Application filed September 26, 1921. Serial No. 503,181.

To all lwhom '15 may concern.'

Be it known that I, ELMER SHARPE, a subject of the King o11 England, residing at Hamilton, in the Province of Ontario and country of Canada, have invented certain.

new and useful Improvements in Passenger- Car Signals, of which the following is va. specification.

This invention relates to signals, and more specifically .to improved passenger-car-sig' nals.

One-of the objects of this invention is to provide a signalling d'evice which, upon closing an electric circuit, simultaneously operates a changeable sign, illuminates the sign and rings a bell, thereby attracting attention ot the lpassengers to the changing sign whichdisplays names of the railway station in their consecutive order.

A further object is to provide a signalling device of this character with a reversing mechanism whereby the device, on the return trip of the car, displays the names of the stations in the converse order.

Other objects and advantages will be pointed out or implied in the following details of description, in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a signalling device constructed according to my in-f vention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional view, the section being taken substantially along the line 2-2 of Figure 3 portions of the electric circuit being omitted for the sake of clearness. z

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view, the

section being taken substantially along thel line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 1s a transverse sectional view along the line 4 4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a view of the device as ob* served from the1 left end of Figure 1, and

Figures 6 to 9 inclusive are diagrammatic views illustrating the electric circuit or system in the different stages of rest and operation of the device.

Referring to the drawings in detail, in which similar reference characters correspond withl similar parts throughout the several views, theinvention consists in the construction and arrangement of parts as will now be fully described asy follows:

are journaled two airs of curtain-rollers, the upper rollers belng indicated by the numerals 12 and12, and the lower rollers being indicated by the numerals 13 and 13a. Each pair of rollers is arranged adjacent to a window 14` there being two ofl these windows provided in the casing 10. A Sign curtain 15 is held by the rollers in such relation that portions of the curtain are stretchedacross the windows 14 in such manner as to -display opposite sides of the curtain through the res ective windows; also in such manner that W en the curtain travels over these rollers, both display portions of the curtain |simultaneousl travel inthe same direction, that is,l eit er up or down.

This operation is obtainable because the cur- 'other roller 17 is idly rotated by the unwinding of the curtain I5. Any appropriatemeans (not shown) may be employed to retard the unwinding motion of each roller 17 and 17a. v

A slot or elongated bearing 18 is provided in the end 10, and astub shaft 19 extends through this opening 18 andl through a mov' able bearing 20 which is pivotally mounted at 21 andv provided. with a handle 22 by means of which the stub shaft 19 can be shifted laterally. A sprocket wheel 23 and a spur ear 24 are mounted on the shaft 19, and this spur gear is alternately movable into mesh with a pair of spur gears 25 and 25a on the shafts17 and 17l respectively, as clearly shown in Figure 5. A sprocket chain 26 connects the wheel 23 with a pair of sprocket wheels 27 and 27, the former of which is rigid with the vroll 13, while the latter is loosely mounted on the journal of the roll 13a.

0n the. opposite end of the roll 13, from the sprocket wheel 27 a spur gear 28 is secured, and av reversing gear mechanism 29 of well known construction is in mesh w-ith the gear 28 and provided with a handle 30 for alternately shifting two pmions 31 into- 34 the operation of windingl'nd. giliidin e exp v rollers and their adjuncts wi aine as follows;

Assumin that `the motor 34 has its gear l wheel or pmion 32'in` mesh with one of the l@ wheels 31, as shown in Figure 3; this im-y parts motion to the chain 26, through the medi of the gear wheel 28 shaft or roller 13 and the sprocket wheel 2t on this shaft.

The chain 26 imparts motion to the sprocket l5 wheel 23 and gear wheel 24, and this motion is imparted to the gear wheel a which is .in mesh with the gear wheel 24,7thereby rotating the shaft 17 a which has the lesser por-y tion of the curtain Wound thereon (see S2@ Figure 4)`. This pulls the curtain over the ulde rollers 12 and 12, so that it unwinds rom the other roller 17.

Now, `when it is'desired to change the direction of motion of the winding shafts and 35 sign curtain, the handle22 is manipulated for disengaging the gear wheel 24 from the :left hand wheel 25, in Figure 5, and en- /gagi'ng itwith the right hand wheel 25. tObviously this results -in applying power to the '49 ri ht hand roller 17, in Flgure 5 or leit hand 85 movin ro ler 17in Figure 4. Now, in order to turn the rollers 17 and 17a in the direction opposite to that indicated by the yarrows adja- 'l cent thereto, the handle is shifted for one of the wheels 31 out of mesh .with t e wheel 32 while moving 'the other vwheel 31into mesh with the wheel 32. This reverses the direction of movement of the wheel 28 and shaft 13 in'a well known manner. Tt will be noted in this connection that the triangular arrangement of the chain 26 about-the sprockets 23,27 and 27a permits of ythe said sprocket23 being swung about the pivot 21 of the arm 20, whereby` the gear 24 may be 'caused to lengage with either ot the gears 25 or 25a without unduly tightening'or loosening the said chain. This could not be eectively accomplished iifthe said chain passed only about the sprockets 23 and 27, due tothe eccentricity vof the pivot 21, but the triangular arrangement shown permits the shifting of vthe sprocket 23 as described. Y

f As illustrated i n Figure 2, it will be seen that signs arepamted lor provided on both sides of the curtain 15, and in Figure 4, it

will be seen that' one side of the curtain 15 is displayed through one window while the cppos1te slde is displayed through the other wmdow. Therefore, the signs can be sov arrangedon the curtain 15 that two signs Krepresenting the same station vare displayed thrugh the respective windows simultaneous The motor 34 is preferably in circuit with iai-mace the main power circuit when this device is employed on electric cars, this main power circuit being indicated at 35 in'Figure 2. However, -the motor circuit, which is indicated at 36, may be connected with any ap- 70 foregoing.

A bell 38 is secured on the casing 10 and its ringing mechanism constitutes partei an electric circuit extension of the motor circuit 36, as illustrated in the diagrammatic Figures 6 to 9 inclusive.` An automatically opening switch 39 is cuit extension, the conducting wires being indicated at 40 and 41. This switch is automatically closed upon movement of the curtain 15 by means of a cam-strip 42 secured ,to one edge .of the curtain 15 andfbeing windably therewith 0n the rollers 17 land 17a, and movable over the guide rollers 12 and 13, as indicated in Figure 2. This also included in the ciring shafts in the manner explained-in the strip may be of metal or other appropriate c material and is provided with recesses 43 along its 'outer'edge A lateral extension 44 of the switch 39 is pressed against this recessed edge of the strip 42 by 'means or a spring 45, so that when the extension 44 is in any one of the recesses 43, theswitch 39 is open; but when the portion 44 .rides upon the edge portion 46 ofthe strip 42, .the

switch 391s closed by being pressed against y a pair of contacts 47 and 48. Therefore, as soon as the motor 34 starts the curtain 15 and its strip 42 close the switch 39, as indicated in Figure 8, so that the 'current now passes not only through the motor circuit, but also passes through the bell circuit yeittension, that is, through the conductors 40 and 41 through' the hell operating mechanism and thence into the conductor 36,

course the switch 37 must be closed for en ergizing the motor 34. Tn order that the current be not short-circuited with relation to the I bell circuit extension 'a resistance 49 is vincluded in the conducting wire 36.

llO

When the motor has driven the curtain 15 and strip 42 a' predetermined distance, the

extension 44 of thets'witch 39 enters one ot v the elongated recesses 43, and the spring 'opens the switch 39, so that the bell 38 rad ` extension 44 reaches the end of the recess 43 and it now serves to stop the curtain at the proper place for displaying the sign in tended to be displayed at this time.

In addition to the audible alarm or signal 38, it is desirable to attract the attention of the passengers by means of an ocular signal, such for instance, as an electric light or lights being suddenly displayed. For this purpose 'and for the purpose of illuminating the, sign curtaim I provide any appropriate number of lamps or electric lights 50, two of these lampsv being here illustrated. As shown in Figure 4, the lamps are each supported on a bar or bridge 51 and are disposed-inwardly of the portions of curtain which extend across the windows 14. The curtain is composedof translucent material, so that the exterior as well as the interior of the curtain is illuminated and when these lamps are lighted suddenly the change from comparative darkness naturally attracts attention of the passengers to the signs. As illustrated in Figures 6 to 9 inclusive, the lamps 50 includeportions of a circuit eX- tension 52, this circuit extension being electrically connected to the circuit extension 40 in such manner that when the switch 39 is closed as illustrated in Figure 8 the current passes through the lamp 50 as well as through the bell circuit 40 and thus an audible and ocular effect is simultaneously produced while the motor i34 is changing the sign in the manner previously described.

For the purpose of keeping the lamps con'- tinually lighted, extension 52 is connected by av pair. of conductors 53 to the outer portion of the circuit 36; that is, to say the portion of this circuit between the source ofE. M. F. and the motor 34. The conductors include a double pole switch 54, which can be opened, as in Figure 9 to keep the lamps 50 normally unlightcd, so that they serve as flashlights -during the changing of the sign, or during the first part of the sign-changing operation:

'but when the switch lthe switch 39 in the mannen 54 is closed, the lamps 50 are continually lighted, as illustrated in Figure 6 where the switches 37 and 39 are open;

Referring to Figure 7, it may be considered that the switch-37 has just been closed, that the current has startedto iow through the motor circuit 3G and through a portion of the bell circuit and thence through the lamp circuit 52 as well as through the lamp circuit 53. Immediately, the sign curtain, and this results in closing previously explained. The switch now being. closed, as shown in Figure 8, the current passes through the entire bell circuit 40 and 41; or in fact it now passes through the entire system including the motor, the lamps and the bell ringing mechanism.y

'when desirable, the circuit the motor begins to shiftf gears; and means In Figure 9, the switch 54 is open, and the lamps 50 are dark notwithstandmg the fact that the current `is passing through the motor circuit, for it is seen that the switch 39 is open; and when the motor 34 has closed the latter switch, thev current willthenpass through the belll circuitand lamps in the manner illustrated in Figure 8, except that there will be no current through the conduc tors 53.

Although I have described this embodiment of my invention very specifically, it is not intended to limit myself to this exact description and construction, but changes may be made within the scope of the inven-.

ltive ideas, as, implied and claimed.

What I claim as Iny invention 1s :A 1. A devlce of the class described comprising a casing provided with'a pair or' oppo-y sitely disposed windows; a pair of winding rollers journalled in said casing; a pair of guiding rolls journalledin said casing adja-V cent each window; a web provided withfinldicating characters secured to said winding rollers and passing over said guidingrolls; a gear rigid with each of said winding rollers; ya gear pivotally mounted on said casing adapted to engage either' ofsaid first mentioned gears to drive said rollers; sprocket and-chain connections between two of said guiding rolls and said ylast named gear, said connections permittingl the oscillation ot said gear about its pivot and means vfor positively driving one of said guiding rolls.

2. `A device of the class described comprising a casing provided with a pair of oppositely disposedl windows; a pair of winding rollers journalled in said casing; a pair of guiding rolls journalled in said casing adja- I cent eachI window; a web providedwith 1ndicating characters on both slides thereof, secured to said winding rollers and passing over said guiding rolls; a gear rigid with cach of said winding rollers; an varm pivotally7 mounted on said casing; a gear rotatably carried by said arm, adapted to engage either of said lfirst' mentioned gears; a sprocket wheel rigidly connected with said last 4named gear; a sprocket wheel rigidly carried by one of said guiding rolls; a sprocket wheel loosely carried by another of said guiding rolls; a sprocket chain engaging all of said sprocket wheels,iand permit ting the oscillation of said first' named sprocket wheel and gear, whereby the latter may engage either of` said winding roll sprocket wheel.

'In testimony whereof, I, aiix my signature.

ELMERV SHARPE.

v for positively driving the lguidimtp roll carrying said second named 

